A couple of weeks ago I was drawn into an article on BBC news on slow-towns. It was a fantastic feature on a town in Norfolk, which due to relaxed way of living is one of only a few towns in the UK to have been awarded slow town status.
For slow town status to be awarded, a town must amongst other things, promote the local environment, provide a good quality of life and most importantly good quality of food sourced locally.
Originating in Italy in 1999, the slow-town idea was developed from the idea of Slow Food. Concerned with the hustle and bustle of modern living, the town of Orvieto organised a festival to preserve La Dolce Vita or The Sweet Life. The slow town concept is a way of thinking that developed from this.
The item on BBC London news raised some good points with regards to the speed of life in modern cities and judging by the experience of myself and the majority of my clients some of suggestions are worth bearing in mind.
Most people perceive stress to be completely negative, but in reality it’s not necessarily the case. Just as we need a certain amount of physical activity and exercise maintain good health, we also need a certain amount of stress.
Day-to-day stress can take many forms including physical, chemical, electromagnetic, psychic or mental, nutritional and thermal. By keeping all these in balance you will maintain an optimal demand on your body. However, by burning the candle at both ends you will challenge your body’s ability to cope.
According to Professor Greg Wilkinson, when stressed you set off wide-ranging changes in chemical control (neurotransmission) of the bodies hormone system. This stimulates pituitary gland in our brain, which activates the adrenal glands in our abdomens. In acute cases, the discharge of adrenaline (one of the adrenal stress hormones), into our blood from the adrenal gland invokes a fight or flight response within the body, which leads to, increased anxiety, heart rate and blood pressure, sweating or flushing, decreased appetite, disturbed sleep and decreased sexual activity.
If experienced over a longer period of time stress can contribute to undermine good health. Stress is more often than not considered a precursor for chronic dieses in the western world. If experienced over a longer period of time stress can lead to depression, stomach ulcers, decreased immune function and weight gain, not to mention a variety of adverse affect on personality factors.
My point (as long winded as it is!) is this. Whilst people love the energy and exhilaration of living in big towns and cities, it’s equally important to vary the pace of life. We all seem to be caught in fast forward. We all seem to rush through life and never live it.
Take a sip of the sweet life today and take a few minutes to just be. Challenge this cult of speed and appreciate the world around you. Savour your surroundings.
Surely we don’t need to live in these slow towns to have a relaxed way of life. According to sources, no one in Europe works longer hours than us. No wonder we are so impatient. We are always in such a rush. Take a few moments today and enjoy La Dolce Vita.
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